Al Jazeera's ambitious new project uses SMS text messages to gauge how ordinary Somalis are coping with the ongoing conflict in their country. It's the first time anyone has polled there in years, and things in Somalia may be worse than anyone knew.

Amnesty International USA and the Standby Task Force have launched an ambitious campaign to crowdsource analysis of Syrian satellite imagery for military movements, demonstrations, and checkpoints. So far, volunteers have tagged more than 2,000 potential troublespots. Is DIY intelligence analysis the future of human rights work?

The heads of Kiva, Guidestar, BRAC, Wikimedia Foundation, DonorsChoose, Ushahidi, Refugees United, and others of their peers, will convene this week at the Omidyar Network Executive Forum (ONEF). As Sal Giambanco, Partner, Omidyar Network (ON) told me, this is ON's "signature event of the year that focuses on leadership."